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What? Me Worry!?!
What? Me Worry!?!
Module 8
Helpful Thinking
for
Centrelinical
C Interventions
Introduction
Example
Worksheet
Module Summary
Page 1
What? Me Worry!?!
Introduction
In this module, you will learn more helpful ways of thinking about things that concern you. This is similar to
problem solving, which is more action-focused constructive thinking for worries that we can do something
about. This module will look at ways we may be able to think differently, in a more helpful way, about
some of the things that bother us.
Thought 2
I dont know anything, I am
going to fail for sure.
Thought 3
So what? I dont care. This
subject isnt important anyway.
Behaviour
Physical
Happy
Do a bit of revision
Quite
relaxed
Anxious
Sad
Sick in
stomach
Tense
Neutral
Do no study
Quite
relaxed
Can you see how what we think can be so important in determining how we feel emotionally and
physically, and can influence what we do?
As we have already explained, worrying is a type of thought process where you engage in repetitive
negative and catastrophic thinking about things you predict could happen. When such a negative thinking
style is constantly hassling you, emotions like anxiety may result, and you may experience unpleasant
physical sensations and avoid doing certain things. One way to lift those negative emotions and unpleasant
bodily sensations and get you back to doing things, is to challenge those worrisome thoughts. This means
that you dont just accept them as true, but question them further, just like the previous detective work
you did with your beliefs about worrying.
for
Centrelinical
C Interventions
Page 2
What? Me Worry!?!
When To Use Helpful Thinking
Before we outline how to go about thinking in more helpful ways, it is very important to be clear on when
this is a helpful strategy to use to deal with worries. Trying to reason with your worries and think in logical
and realistic ways, may be something you have tried before. You may have found that often this approach
is useless, as the worry just pops back. What we know is that trying to think logically in the moment as
soon as a worry pops up in ineffective, as it can be just another way we are trying to control and push away
our negative thoughts, but rationalising them away! As we know, pushing our worries away, even if the
way we go about it seems sensible, just does not work.
Therefore, the helpful thinking that you will learn in this module, should be reserved for your thinking
time that is part of postponement. You may be tempted to use what you learn in this module to talk back
to the worries as soon as they pop up, as a way of trying to put them in their place. But doing this is just
giving the negative thoughts time and attention, and getting into that push-pull tug-o-war that gets you
stuck in worry in the first place.
So remember, when a worry pops up, postponement is still your way of responding to it in the moment.
Only later in thinking time, and only if something is still bothering you, should you then turn to using more
helpful thinking strategies. The aim is that either problem solving or helpful thinking, will be the type of
thinking strategies you can use during your allocated thinking time that is part of worry postponement.
Most people dont do their best thinking in the moment when a worry pops up and emotions are high.
Acknowledge this, and save problem solving and helpful thinking to your thinking time. You may be
surprised about the productive and helpful thinking you are able to do.
for
Centrelinical
C Interventions
Page 3
What? Me Worry!?!
You are not just going to get those worrisome thoughts out on paper, you are also going to start looking at
the situation from different perspectives and try out some more Helpful Thinking. Here are some useful
questions to ask yourself to get the helpful thinking juices flowing:
Based on your answers to the questions in your Diary, you will then come to a more Helpful Conclusion
by asking:
What would be a more balanced and helpful thought to replace my worry?
The final step is to:
Re-rate how much you now believe the original prediction you were making.
Re-rate how intense the emotions are that you were originally feeling.
If you follow through with this strategy, it is likely that you will experience a decrease in your belief in the
negative predictions you were making and a decrease in the intensity of your emotions. If it has been useful
in this way, then great, you can put the worry to rest. However, if this process hasnt led to more helpful
thinking, then continue to postpone the worry. Because remember, as we know from our work on the
positive beliefs about worryworrying about it will serve no purpose.
In general, keep practicing more helpful thinking during your thinking time when needed. It will take time,
persistence, and practice, but being able to see life in a more balanced way will be very rewarding.
for
Centrelinical
C Interventions
Page 4
What? Me Worry!?!
My Worries
What am I predicting?
A work project
What emotion(s) am I
feeling? (Rate the intensity 0100%)
Anxious (80%)
Depressed (50%)
Helpful Thinking
What is the evidence for my prediction?
What is a more helpful way to view the situation? What advice would I give to a friend feeling this way?
I have done this sort of thing before, so I can probably do it again.
I am good at what I do, so Ill probably do a good job it doesnt have to be absolutely perfect.
I could tell my boss I am under a lot of pressure they dont expect me to be a superhero.
Other peoples work is not as good as mine, and they dont get fired.
I can be happy with just getting it in on time, and doing a good job I dont also need my
boss to praise me.
Helpful Conclusion
A more balanced and helpful thought to replace my worry is:
Worrying about this is unhelpful. I know I can do this job on time and well. All my past
experiences show me that. I should remember that, rather than thinking the worst.
Page 5
What? Me Worry!?!
What am I predicting?
Helpful Thinking
What is the evidence for my prediction?
What is a more helpful way to view the situation? What advice would I give to a friend feeling this way?
Helpful Conclusion
A more balanced and helpful thought to replace my worry is:
Page 6
What? Me Worry!?!
Module Summary
How you think affects the way you feel emotionally and physically, and also affects the way you behave
Worrying is a negative thought process that makes you feel anxious and tense, and makes you avoid
things
If certain worries that you have postponed still bother you at thinking time, then one way to deal with
them is to try thinking in more helpful ways, which usually involves looking at the situation from a
different perspective
For worriers, practicing more helpful thinking is best done at thinking time, rather than in the moment
as soon as a worry pops into their head
You can practice thinking in more helpful ways using the Helpful Thinking Diary
Using the Diary, write down what it is you are predicting, and rate how much you believe it. Also rate
your emotions
What is the best, worst (could I cope?), and most likely scenarios?
By asking these questions, you can develop a more balanced/helpful thought to replace your worries
Finally, re-rate your belief in your worries and re-rate your emotions, to see if your Helpful Thinking
Diary has been useful in dealing with your worry. If it has been helpfulgreat! If not, continue to
postpone.
Coming up next
In the next module, you will address
something that is common for people
with generalised anxiety having
difficulty accepting uncertainty.
for
Centrelinical
C Interventions
Page 7
What? Me Worry!?!
About The Modules
CONTRIBUTORS
Dr Lisa Saulsman (MPsych1; PhD2)
Centre for Clinical Interventions
Paula Nathan (MPsych1)
Director, Centre for Clinical Interventions
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Psychiatry and Clinical
Neuroscience, The University of Western Australia
Dr Louella Lim (DPsych3)
Centre for Clinical Interventions
1
Some of the materials in the modules of this information package were taken from:
Saulsman, L., Anderson, R., Campbell, B., & Swan, A. (2015). Working with Worry and Rumination: A
Metacognitive Group Treatment Programme for Repetitive Negative Thinking. Perth, Western Australia:
Centre for Clinical Interventions.
BACKGROUND
The concepts and strategies in the modules have been developed from evidence based psychological
practice, primarily Metacognitive Therapy (MCT). MCT is a type of psychotherapy developed by Professor
Adrian Wells at the University of Manchester. MCT is an extension of Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy
(CBT) and is based on the theory that repetitive negative thinking, such as chronic worry in generalised
anxiety, is a result of problematic metacognitions (i.e., beliefs about thinking) and behaviours. There is good
scientific evidence to support that targeting metacognitions and behaviours in therapy can help many people
to overcome generalised anxiety. Examples of this evidence are reported in:
McEvoy, P. M., Erceg-Hurn, D. M., Anderson, R. A., Campbell, B. N. C., Swan, A., Saulsman, L. M., Summers,
M., & Nathan, P. R. (2015). Group metacognitive therapy for repetitive negative thinking in primary and
non-primary generalized anxiety disorder: an effectiveness trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 175, 124132.
REFERENCES
These are some of the professional references used to create the modules in this information package.
Barlow, D.H. (2002). Anxiety and Its Disorders: The Nature and Treatment of Anxiety and Panic (2nd ed.).
London: Guilford Press.
Heimberg, R.G., Turk, C.L., & Mennin, D.S. (2004). Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Advances in Research and
Practice. New York: Guilford Press.
Wells, A. (1997). Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety Disorders: A Practice Manual and Conceptual Guide. Chichester,
UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Wells, A. (2008). Metacognitive Therapy for Anxiety and Depression. New York: Guilford Press.
WHAT? ME WORRY!?!
This module forms part of:
Saulsman, L., Nathan, P., Lim, L., Correia, H., Anderson, R., & Campbell, B. (2015). What? Me Worry!?!
Mastering Your Worries. Perth, Western Australia: Centre for Clinical Interventions.
We would like to thank Mandy Nathan, Psychologist, Oxfordshire, England, for the suggestion of a "worry puss" for
the theme character of this Information Package
ISBN: 0-9751985-9-9
for
Centrelinical
C Interventions
Page 8